Little Prince - Classic Children's Book Double-Decker Ship

Author: (French) Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: Many years ago, at a national conference in Yantai, Shandong, I proposed the idea that children's literature writers are the shapers of future national character. A few years later, I revised this concept and offered a new definition: the mission of children's literature lies in providing humanity with a sound foundation of good character. I now prefer this formulation because it is broader and more aligned with the spiritual world of children's literature. Another way to put it: the purpose of children's literature is to lay the "spiritual foundation" for humanity. This series, "Double-Sailed Ship Classic Children's Books," selects classics from world children's literature, which are undoubtedly a spiritual feast for young readers. These books are the ones I refer to as providing a sound foundation of good character for humanity. They are books within books. I once called such books "King Books." Now, let us first discuss the fundamental aspects of this so-called sound foundation of good character—moral sense.
Literature was chosen by humanity as a spiritual form precisely because it was discovered to be beneficial in transforming and purifying human nature. From its inception to the present day, literature has played an immeasurable role in shaping and refining human nature. In the spiritual world of modern humanity, much of the beauty and radiance comes from literature. In the wonderful qualities of human beings today, we can discern the traces left by literature with just a little reflection. Without literature, there would be no modern world, no modern humanity. Without literature, humanity would still be lost in vastness and dimness, entangled in the confusion of ignorance, and living in a purely animalistic existence devoid of taste and interest. Literature must have moral sense, and children's literature must have it even more so. It must be acknowledged that inherent human nature is far from being so lovely and beautiful. In fact, it may be the opposite. Human nature is filled with a significant amount of evil. These elements hinder humanity's progress toward higher levels of civilization. To sustain and develop humanity, the elite have realized that morality must be upheld within humanity. The emergence of this concept made it possible for humanity to advance toward civilization. Over the centuries, the meaning of morality has evolved, but it has gradually settled into some fundamental and enduring elements: selflessness, integrity, compassion for the weak, helping those in distress, opposing tyranny, resisting bullying, pursuing equality, yearning for freedom, respecting individuality, and nurturing benevolence. These moral principles, along with other spiritual forms (such as philosophy and ethics), effectively restrain the evils of human nature and continuously improve it.
Taste. Literature seems to have more power than any other spiritual form in cultivating taste in humanity. "The waves rise gently, white birds descend leisurely." "Sparse shadows slant across the clear water, faint fragrance drifts in the twilight." "The orioles also love the coolness of the new season, singing through the shadows of green mountains." With concise words, literature can instantly inject the essence of taste into the blood and soul of humanity. Dante, Shakespeare, Goethe, Tagore, Hemingway, Turgenev, Lu Xun, Shen Congwen, and Kawabata Yasunari—each generation of outstanding writers, with their noble and refined words, has transformed our lives into lives of taste. They have turned lifeless existence and mediocre objects into things of aesthetic appreciation. Taste has changed human nature, elevating it in quality. And the cultivation of taste should begin with children. Taste belongs to the realm of aesthetics. My views have always been consistent. In my consciousness, there is something very important: I believe that the power of beauty, the power of aesthetics, is no less than the power of thought. Even the deepest thoughts can become common knowledge, but only one thing never ages—beauty. However, in the current context of China, there is a very strange phenomenon: "beauty" has become an overly sentimental term. This is extremely strange. No matter how I think about it, I can't understand: what is wrong with people? Why do they avoid and denigrate beauty? What is the mindset behind it? Is it truly that literature has no role or responsibility in elevating the taste and refinement of a nation? Let us leave adult literature alone for now; it can take care of itself. But when it comes to children's literature, we must speak up. Without laying this foundation, it is not possible. Without it, human nature will be in dire straits. The gap in aesthetic education is one of the great failures of Chinese education. The consequences of this failure are far-reaching. When Cai Yuanpei served as Minister of Education in the Republic of China, he proposed the idea of promoting five types of education (moral, intellectual, physical, worldview, and aesthetic) at the National Education Conference. Aesthetic education was included among these. However, it sparked fierce debate and was nearly rejected. Later, it was only accepted as a principle for primary and secondary schools, not as a national education policy. Over time, the understanding of aesthetic education became increasingly narrow, until it was finally reduced to being synonymous with art and music. In Cai Yuanpei's view, the five types of education formed a perfect system for cultivating a superior human nature. Moral, intellectual, and physical education constituted the "lower half," while worldview and aesthetic education formed the "upper half." Yet, the "upper half" was cut off. China's education system became incomplete.
Emotional Education. Classical literature has always entrusted itself to a core word: moving. For centuries, classical literature has written about moving stories. But since the rise of modern literature, it no longer does so. Classical literature moves us precisely because of its spirit of compassion and its compassionate sentiment. Human society has advanced to where it is today, but it has also lost or damaged much. It has lost or damaged many emotions—passion, enthusiasm, compassion—even children raised in this material and cultural environment (so-called "new humans") have become a source of widespread concern among anthropologists. One reason for this concern is the decline of compassion (they have not yet developed a compassionate sentiment). We have seen that today's children seem to have little impulse to engage in such noble behaviors. The signs indicate that the process of modernization is not perfect. The benefits humanity enjoys today from modernization have come at a great cost. The weakening of emotions is a prominent example. We have asserted that literature lies in providing and creating a sound foundation of good character for the existence of human society. And this "foundation" must necessarily include a crucial element: compassion. If we consider these three fundamental aspects, the works selected for "Double-Sailed Ship Classic Children's Books" are ideal models. They strike a balance among the three. This balance is also a balance of the human spirit, a balance of humanity.